After years of spilling, slicing, cabinet slamming, and cooking slipups, the kitchen might just need a makeover. While you're at it, turn the kitchen into the most eco-friendly room in your house.

4 Tips to Build a Greener Kitchen

4 Tips to Build a Greener Kitchen

There are plenty of simple and affordable ways to go about the kitchen remodeling process, but not all of them will lead to a greener space. Designing an eco-friendly kitchen can help slash energy costs, reduce carbon footprints, and ensure that the space that houses so much of the life of a home is green and sustainable. If you're already thinking about a kitchen remodel, here are a few easy and affordable fixes that can go a long way in creating a room that's perfect both for you and for the environment.

Rethink the Flooring

Rethink the Flooring

It's comeback time for linoleum. The once-popular kitchen flooring fell out of favor in recent decades. But because it is made of renewable, biodegradable materials, linoleum is getting a second wind from consumers who want eco-friendly flooring in their kitchens or bathrooms. Unlike wood, which is a limited resource, the linseed oil limestone, and jute that go into making linoleum can be regrown quickly and easily. Linoleum is also resilient and easy to clean, making it longer lasting than some of the less eco-friendly flooring options.

Installation costs run about $5 to $7 per square foot, but installing linoleum flooring yourself can be a relatively easy task, even if you don't have much kitchen remodeling experience.

If linoleum is still too retro for your kitchen, most major flooring retailers carry products made from other sustainable materials such as bamboo and cork.